There's a smart reason behind this hideous Prius paint job

It's so bright!

Shares

Toyota isn't afraid of making aesthetic sacrifices for the sake of efficiency, and now it's gone one step further with an odd coat of green paint.

In a move to help its hybrid car stay cool, Toyota unveiled a new Thermo-Tect Lime Green paint job for the Prius. The Japanese car company explained in a statement that its new color option improves the paint on a molecular level by removing the black carbon particles and replacing them with reflective flecks of titanium oxide.

Between the bright lime green color and swapped out particles, this new coating should significantly increase the vehicle's solar reflectivity. This in turns means the car will absorb less solar energy and get hot less often.

Toyota claims its Thermo-Tect paint is so effective that it outperformed a car donning purely white paint.

Ultimately, this means drivers will have to reach for the air conditioner less often and help make the Prius more energy efficient.

For now, the bright green Thermo-Tect paint is only available as an option in Japan for ¥43,200 (about $381, £263, AU$537). There's no word on when or if it might be available in other countries, but if it ever does become available, we hope Toyota will offer the high-tech paint in more desirable colors.